Recent tragic suicides as the result of bullying have spurred President Obama and the Department of Education to speak out against bullying and to address these issues nationally. At least two of these suicides were the result of anti-gay bullying, while others involved youth including those with disabilities. Russlyn Ali, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights,…
Early Voting Ends Saturday, October 30
As they say in Chicago, vote early and often! Seriously, everyone should be encouraged to exercise their right and responsibility to vote in all elections. I recently took my oldest son to vote in his second election; we studied the issues and the candidates together, then looked up our early polling station online. …
A Shocking Story, A Shocking School
Imagine being being strapped facedown on a four-point restraint board and being shocked repeatedly by an unseen person for swearing…and you’re a child. This is about a book that the Autism Society of NC (ASNC) will never stock or sell. Why talk about it, then? Sometimes we have to address the ugly elephant in the…
New Resource on Sexuality and Youth/Adults with Disabilities
Want to make people uncomfortable? Ask them about their sex education of their child with a disability (regardless of whether their “child” is 4 or 42 years old)! What have you done to educate your child with autism about sex and sexuality? If you need some help getting started, here are some resources. A new…
Promoting Internet Safety for Individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome and Autism
Teaching social networking safety: tips, tools, resources from John Thomas & friends.
Fun, fun, fun at Camp Royall!!
You and your family need to join us at Camp Royall this fall. Our outstanding camp counselors and the fabulous Sara Gage have lots of fun planned. Here are some highlights: Family Fun Days: the next one will be Saturday, October 16 from 12 noon to 5 pm. Camp Royall will be open to all…
CAP-MR/DD Stakeholder Survey
During the month of September, you are invited to participate in a survey about the CAP-MR/DD Medicaid waivers (Comprehensive Waiver and Supports Waiver). Your feedback is very important to us as we continue to improve the waivers. We want to hear from individuals receiving CAP-MR/DD services, parents and guardians of individuals receiving services, service providers,…
Back to school—I love it, I love it not
Back to school—hurray! I say that now with a sigh of relief, but not for long. I hate getting up and rushing out the door, I DETEST homework and projects with a passion, and I don’t enjoy the constant monitoring of my children’s progress. What I do enjoy about my children being in school—besides watching…
My Summer Camp Experience
This past Friday, August 13th, I had the privilege of attending the Talent Show at Camp Royall. I was there to welcome families and give them information about ASNC. As it turned out, I got much more from the experience than what I gave. I arrived early to the Camp’s gym and sat out…